Residents Lambaste Trustees on Monte Nido Decision

Though a passionate group of Heathcote residents cheered when the Village Trustees announced their decision to file an objection to an application to open a facility for teens with eating disorders on Morris Lane on November 24, not everyone agrees. Several residents came to the December 8 meeting to speak out, and called the Trustees decision shocking, intolerant and lacking in compassion. Here are excerpts from their comments:

Speaking against the decision was Jeff Blatt who said, "I realize you are volunteers but you are elected to use your judgment. ... I am shocked that not one Trustee voted to oppose the resolution you passed.... We have many children with eating disorders in this town and I wonder if one of you had a child with an eating disorder if you would feel differently." He continued, "I trust that the facility will sail through, that it will be in Scarsdale and I'll be proud to have it here."

Josh Frankel of Black Birch Lane was also unhappy with the decision. He said, "I feel the need to distance myself from the disturbing commentary and vote that took place here on November 24. ... No one in my family has suffered from an eating disorder and I don't live in proximity to the proposed facility. Consequently some would say I don't have skin in the game. The conversation was the antithesis of every value, principal, tenet with which I was raised and I am trying to raise my own children.... The question was not about a nuclear reactor ..... We are the exact type of community that produces these young ladies in disproportionate numbers.... We cannot object on grounds of traffic, crime, garbage, property values or lack of safety for those who would reside there. These have been resoundingly defeated in the past 40 years." He then recounted a similar incident in Kings Point in 1979 where the Padavan Law was found to be constitutional and in less than a year neighbors came to accept the group home as part of the community. He said, "Concerns evaporated and they were seen as good neighbors."

He concluded by saying, "There will be no adverse impact on property values.... I learned something about my neighbors that I would have preferred not to know.
In the years to come we will look back on this as Scarsdale's sorriest hour."

Dr. Andrea Grant said she grew up in Scarsdale and was raised on the values of this community. She returned here to raise her own children. Grant holds a doctorate in child and adolescent psychology and recently co-authored a chapter in the handbook of eating disorders. She said she read all the letters, petitions, statements and testimony from attorneys on the about the application for the homes on Morris Lane, looking for a valid reason to oppose the facility. She said, "I looked for something grounded in actual truth," ... and found a "total absence of evidence." She concluded, "The only reason left for continued opposition is prejudice. It causes us psychological discomfort." She concluded by saying, "This is a jarring, contrast to values of inclusion and kindness that I learned growing up in this community."

Dr. Jonathan Bradlow, a 13-year resident of Scarsdale said he moved here to raise his children and found a generally tolerant attitude. He called the decision by the trustees "selfish," and said it did not reflect his values as a constituent. He said Scarsdale is a "community that breeds this condition," and said since the Padavan Law has never been successfully breached, the objection is a "waste of time, taxpayer money and a vote of support for the stigmatization of mental illness." He continued, "Our emergency services can handle anything that 6-8 teenage girls can throw at us. This adds wind to the sails of intolerance. I ask you to withdraw the objection."

Responding to their comments, Trustee Carl Finger said, "You made cogent comments ... When issues arise in the future, we will think about your remarks going forward. We heard what you said, we take it seriously and we take our responsibility very seriously."

Roads:

Also at the meeting, Jeff Blatt spoke about the state of the roads. He distributed a letter he wrote in the Scarsdale Inquirer in 2010 concerning the state of the roads and said, "Nothing has changed in five years. The maintenance budget is entirely insufficient. Global warming, SUV's and Amazon deliveries on Sunday have made formulas on how long roads will last meaningless. The roads are dangerous, embarrassing. I have to teach two high school juniors to drive and to swerve to avoid the potholes. Quoting Trustee Stern. He said, "The problem is now so far gone that we need to float a bond on redo the roads. There is a major problem beyond the ability of any annual budget. ... This is a wealthy town. I will accept higher taxation for better roads. The rodas have reached a shameful condition. Do the right thing, redo the roads and budget an appropriate amount to maintain them each year."

Gifts:

The trustees passed a resolution to transfer $50,000 from the Children's Room endowment to the Library Capital Campaign account by December 31, 2015 and agreed to a future transfer of $45,0000 in January 2016. The terms of the endowment allow up to 10% of the principal to be used annually to enhance resources and services to the children. The funds will be used for the building renovation.

The trustees accepted a gift of $500,000 from the Friends of the Scarsdale Library for the addition to and renovation of the library.

The trustees accepted two gifts of $5,000 each from the Fenway Charitable Fund Committee to the Scarsdale Police Department and the Scarsdale Fire Department for the purchase of equipment. This fund is from Fenway Golf Club.

STAR Exemption:

In the Town of Scarsdale portion of the meeting, Village Treasurer Mary Lou McClure noted a clerical error in the calculation of the STAR exemption for 2015-16. The error caused the under-billing of 2,392 parcels for a total amount of $71,000 or $29.00 each. The error will be corrected on the 2016-17 school tax bill.